Director General of Creation and Innovation Julie Roy announced today that Rohan Fernando has been named Executive Producer of the National Film Board of Canada's Quebec and Atlantic Studio, where he will be based out of the NFB's Halifax office. Rohan joined the studio as a producer in 2018 and has been serving as the interim executive producer since April 2022.
Rohan's most recent credits as NFB producer include the Labrador Doc Project, a new initiative for Inuit creators that gave audiences the 2021 shorts Nalujuk Night by Jennie Williams and Evan's Drum by Ossie Michelin. He also served as series producer on Reimagining Nova Scotia (2019), which included Sandi Rankaduwa's Ice Breakers, Jason Young's Canadian Screen Award-nominated Gun Killers, and Rachel Bower's I Am Skylar, winner of the Best Atlantic Short Documentary award at the FIN Atlantic International Film Festival.
From Prince Edward Island, he has produced Susan Rodgers' Then Sings My Soul (2021) as well as Millefiore Clarkes' award-winning Love in Quarantine (2020) and The Song and the Sorrow (2018), about the troubled life of PEI music icon Gene MacLellan, which was named Best Atlantic Short Documentary at the FIN Atlantic International Film Festival and was Opening Film at the 2018 Rendezvous with Madness Film Festival.
Rohan also recently produced two Governor General's Performing Arts Awards shorts, on internationally renowned pianist Angela Hewitt and beloved comedian Rick Mercer.
He is currently in development on new projects with an array of exciting East Coast talent that includes Andrea Dorfman and Monique Leblanc, as well as Montreal auteurs Melanie Shatzky and Brian Cassidy.
Prior to joining the Quebec and Atlantic Studio, Rohan directed five films with the NFB, including Becoming Labrador (2018), co-directed with Tamara Segura and Justin Simms.
His other NFB directorial credits are The Chocolate Farmer (2010), Blood and Water (2007), Trudeau's Other Children (2005) and the 2002 Triad Film/NFB co-production Cecil's Journey, named Best Atlantic Short Film at the FIN Atlantic International Film Festival. Rohan also served as creative producer for the NFB's science education project Space School (2015), featuring astronaut Col. Chris Hadfield.
Rohan's independent credits include writing, directing and producing the dramatic feature Snow in 2012. He began his film career with a television pilot for CTV entitled Shelter, which he wrote and directed, based on his own graphic novel.
Quotes
"I'm delighted that Rohan Fernando is now our new head of Atlantic and Quebec English-language documentary production. He has been instrumental in helping to lead the studio since the retirement of Annette Clarke, and we're delighted that he has accepted to stay on in this leadership role. Rohan has a collaborative and generous spirit, and will be integral in fostering a creative hub for artists, creators and communities across Quebec and Atlantic Canada," said Julie Roy.
"As an immigrant to the Atlantic and Quebec regions where I have lived and worked most of my life, it's an honour to support the incredible talent and important stories coming out of our communities in my new role," said Rohan Fernando.
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